Aston Martin is proud to celebrate its famous return to the pinnacle of endurance motorsport by revealing today the spectacular Valkyrie LM, a new, ultra-exclusive and non-homologated variant of the only road-derived racing hypercar to bid for overall victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
This exceptional version of the world’s ultimate hypercar represents a historic landmark in the luxury high-performance brand’s sporting history, whose legacy intertwines back to the very roots of the most famous motor race of them all. Aston Martin first entered Le Mans in 1928, five years after the event’s inception. Now after multiple class wins through the decades, and five since 2014, the Wings return to the top echelon of the sport with Valkyrie, as Aston Martin bids for outright victory for the first time since 1959, when Roy Salvadori (GBR) and Carroll Shelby (USA) triumphed with the Aston Martin DBR1.
The Valkyrie LM is born from the Valkyrie Hypercar race car – the first of any kind built to the FIA’s ‘Hypercar’ regulations that is contesting both the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship [WEC] and the North American-based IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship [IMSA]. Like the Valkyrie that lines up on the grid for this week’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, the LM is powered by a modified, lean-burn version of the sensational Cosworth-built 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12 engine, tuned to an identical regulation-limited 520kW (697bhp).
Aston Martin CEO, Adrian Hallmark said: “In all its forms, there is nothing on Earth that compares to Valkyrie. The Le Mans contender is unique amongst its peers, not least the breathtaking 6.5-litre V12 engine provides the beating heart for the only competitive hypercar bred from a road car.
“Valkyrie LM is an exquisite opportunity to be part of the most exclusive Aston Martin owners club in the world; a group who can immerse themselves in the purest and most comparable endurance driving experience, one that would otherwise only be available to our works drivers operating at the very limit of sportscar racing’s highest echelon. Through the decades, Aston Martin has striven to give its owners the truest sense of the performance bred from its racing cars. With Valkyrie LM, there has never been an opportunity to get closer to the raw dynamic forces and state of the art technology deployed by the hypercar currently competing in WEC and IMSA.”
The Valkyrie LM truly represents a driving experience directly comparable to the elite performance levels of sportscar racing’s pinnacle Hypercar class. Its differentiation is minimal to the cars competing in WEC and IMSA and focuses on ensuring the Valkyrie LM is fully accessible to amateur drivers. Race series-specific items such as ballast and FIA-regulation electronics will be removed, with a bespoke cockpit interface tailored for track day usage. User-friendly open-loop torque control (rather than closed-loop which exists for competition regulation and homologation), torque sensors that manage power delivery on the race car are removed, optimizing the driving experience for customers. The V12 engine will be recalibrated to accept readily available fuel.
The rear-wheel-drive Valkyrie LM is driven through a seven-speed sequential transmission operated by semi-automatic paddle shift gear change, just like the competitive version. The racing suspension configuration features double wishbones front and rear, with pushrod-actuated torsion bar springs with adjustable side and central dampers. The Valkyrie LM will run on bespoke performance tyres from F1® tyre supplier Pirelli.
The cockpit is optimized for driver safety, access and visibility, with a custom carbon-fibre race seat with shoulder support and headrest padding surround. It features a six-point FIA 8853 safety harness and fire suppression system, while the steering wheel has an integrated driver display and shift lights.
Adam Carter, Aston Martin’s Head of Endurance Motorsport said: “It is important to emphasize that the Valkyrie LM is close to identical to the race car that is currently competing in WEC and IMSA, with only a few minor deviations to ensure it is a non-homologated variant and is accessible for customers to experience and enjoy. Valkyrie LM represents the most authentic Hypercar track experience that is now available.”
Valkyrie LM owners will be free to take full possession of their car, but Aston Martin is also creating a dedicated driver development program that is tailored to support, harness, and optimize their driving ability and provide them with the ultimate top-flight motorsport experience. Removing the stress of running track sessions independently and ensuring the car is set-up and prepared with the same expertise as it was intended to be for the race track, the program is sculpted to assist drivers as they build their confidence and explore the limits of a machine designed to operate in excess of 200mph on the fast, flat-out kinks of the most famous racetrack in the world. Operated on a ‘fly-in-and-drive’ basis, the program will be fully managed by a professional team of engineers and will immerse the owners in the program as they explore the capabilities of the car in a safe and controlled environment.
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